


Lavender Wisteria

by Rosage



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 00:23:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13582086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosage/pseuds/Rosage
Summary: The cottage is her bubble when she needs privacy, when she needs to hide.She doesn’t want to hide from Nadia.





	Lavender Wisteria

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Portia Week Day Two: Bubble. It's set in a vague post-canon where things turned out generally all right for everyone involved.
> 
> Thank you to Fayery for previewing it.
> 
> Edited to note: As of book 9, this is a slight AU.

Portia stretches her spine to fit her hand comfortably in the crook of Nadia’s elbow. It’s futile; Nadia doesn’t often allow herself to be guided, and she keeps starting off as if she knows their path. Her cheeks color as she slows, looking to Portia, who has to smile at how rare it is for Nadia to keep such a choppy pace.

Clearing her throat, Nadia turns ahead to study the route. “How far until I know our destination?”

“Not much farther, Mil--Nadia. We’re not leaving the castle grounds.”

Even then, for the guards to agree not to follow, Portia had to slip knives into her boots and a talisman from Asra into Nadia’s collar. Not that anyone foolhardy enough would get the jump on them in these woods; the birds would shriek before they could try. The birds are quiet now, yielding to Portia’s thumping heart and the breeze rustling the leaves. It lifts Nadia’s hair to tickle Portia’s arm. She tries not to jump.

They’re almost to the clearing when a scuffling noise stops her in her tracks. She eyes the bushes, reaching for her boot. A chipmunk scrambles out across the path, Pepi hot on its tail, and Portia straightens with a sigh.

“Pepi! Hey, come here.”  
  
“Pepi?”  
  
“My cat.” Before she can be introduced, Pepi’s flapping tail disappears into the forest. “Oh, she’ll come around in her own time.”  
  
“Cats tend to. I didn’t realize you had one.”

“I have a… Well, you’ll see.”

“Full of mysteries, aren’t you?” The comment is light, without a hint of accusation, but Portia’s laugh scratches her throat.

Before long, they’re standing in front of Portia’s cottage. This is the first time the sight of it hasn’t soothed her. The woodwork is crooked where she patched up a wall, and a mischievous vine that always tries to trip her makes her do more than roll her eyes. She stomps near it until it retreats from Nadia’s path.

“Welcome home,” Portia says.

“Home?”

“I mean, my home. Well, you can consider it yours if you--anyway! I thought you might like to visit.” She drops Nadia’s arm, clasping her own hands together as Nadia steps forward to survey the landscape. “Sorry for being so vague. Only a couple of people know how to get here.”  
  
“I see. I will keep your confidence, then.” Nadia’s eyes light up, like she’s happy to share a secret, and Portia is sure her own face must look positively loopy.

Nadia turns to inspecting the garden, delicately rubbing leaves between her thumb and forefinger before leaning to sniff the flowers. Portia follows, relieved to do so but anticipating Nadia’s assessment.

“You tend to this garden all by yourself?”

“Sure do. Well, Pepi helps. More like she eats everything. I’d love to plant some lilies, but you know.” It’s hard not to sound squeaky, speaking so casually around Nadia. But when Portia invited her here, she made a promise. The cottage is her bubble when she needs privacy, when she needs to hide.

She doesn’t want to hide from Nadia.

“You’re welcome to keep lilies in my room,” Nadia says.

“Oh, you don’t have--I mean, as long as you’d like them.”

“They would look well beside the window. Of course, I might have to replace the curtains.” With that removing her attention from the garden, Nadia perches on the bench, gloved hands folded in her lap. Her simple lavender dress matches the wisteria. Portia had suggested Nadia not wear her best, but she’s scarcely looked lovelier than in the garden, admiring Portia’s work with eyes absent of the storm that once plagued them.

Pepi slinks into the garden with an air of defeat. She perks up at the newcomer, sniffing Nadia’s feet before rubbing against her ankles.

“A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Pepi,” Nadia says. In response Pepi jumps onto her lap. Too late Portia considers advising Nadia to wear something Pepi-colored, not that she can care while Nadia scratches under Pepi’s chin, eliciting a purr.

“I’ll make us some tea.”  
  
“I can help.”  
  
“You’ve got a cat in your lap. That’s like escaping the dungeons. Besides, someone’s got to keep her away from the chipmunks.” She hesitates before leaning down to kiss Nadia’s temple. “Enjoy the garden.”

The door latches behind her, and she finally breathes. Ilya once told her to always keep in motion, to never let thoughts stick. The thoughts swirl instead while she fills her kettle.

Nadia has always valued honesty. Part of Portia thought that if she showed Nadia this, Nadia could decide if it was actually what she wanted. Being with Nadia is like floating, but all bubbles burst.

She carries out the tea with a plate of rugelach. Nadia is unhinging Pepi’s claws from the front of her dress, which she must have tried to climb up. Pepi purrs while Nadia holds her up and away from her.

“It’s not every day she meets the countess. Or anyone, really,” Portia says as Nadia sets Pepi on the ground.  
  
“I can see that. Did you bake those?”

“Yup! They’re cinnamon.”

“They’re delicious,” Nadia says after a delicate nibble, and Portia beams. Nadia smoothes out her dress. “Portia?”

“Y-yes?”

“I fear I neglected to say it’s a lovely garden. With everything you do at the palace, I can’t imagine where you found the time to care for all this.” She brushes a crumb from the corner of Portia’s open mouth. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“Of--of course! It’s not a palace, but you can come here any time, y’know. If you need some peace and quiet, or some flowers or, uh, some mean latkes.”

Nadia places a finger over Portia’s lips. “I do not intend to intrude on your privacy.”

“I mean it. I wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise.” A bold declaration that almost makes her suck in a breath, but Nadia smiles, warm and genuine.

“Your trust honors me. It would be my pleasure to return.” Her hand slides to cup Portia’s face, bringing it to hers for a cinnamon kiss that makes Portia forget to breathe. Pepi’s yowls don't deter Nadia from pulling Portia into her lap.


End file.
